Present simple (English Grammar in Use e.o.

Form: Infinitive + S
rd
1. 3 PERSON SINGULAR
Affirmative Subject Infinitive +s
The race start s in Paris
This computer make S a lot of noise
She get S up early on Mondays
1.1. SPELLING: We need to add –es to the infinitive when the verbs end in:
- es!!! - es!!! - ies!!! Remember:

CH: watch  watches most infinitives which end in verb ending in CONSONANT + HAVE changes to HAS!
SH: wash  washes a combination of Y: we remove the final -Y and Be  is
S: kiss  kisses CONSONANT + single O add –IES to the infinitive
X: fix  fixes go goes, do does cry cries, hurry hurries,
Z: buzz  buzzes worry worries, try tries

1.2 Pronunciation:
When we add –s/ -es to the base form of the verb there’s always a change in pronunciation:
/s/ verbs ending in an unvoiced consonant (p – t – k – f) ): cooks, eats
/z/ verbs ending in a vowel sound or voiced consonant: plays, has, adds, knows
/iz/ verbs where you add –es: watches, finishes
Except: says  /sez/; does /dʌz /
1.3. QUESTIONS: Use ASI (Auxiliary, Subject, Infinitive) or QUASI (Question word, Auxiliary, Subject, Infinitive)
Question Question word DOES Subject Infinitive
Does the race start in Paris?
(Why) Does this computer make a lot of noise?
Does She get up early on Mondays?
1.4. Negative statements

Negative Subject DOESN’T Infinitive

The race doesn’t start in Paris?
This computer doesn’t make a lot of noise?
She doesn’t get up early on Mondays?
2. VERBS WITH OTHER SUBJECTS:

Affirmative Subject Infinitive Negative Subject DON’T Infinitive

Trees lose their leaves in autumn The Smiths don’t play anymore
We get up early on Mondays These people don’t work here
I work Here We don’t like action films

Question Question word DO Subject Infinitive

Do you like sweets?
(Why) Do they go to the races?

2. USE: We use the present simple to talk about things in general. We use it to say that something happens all the time or
repeatedly, or that something is true in general:
GENERAL ACTIONS, EVENTS AND STATES: With the present simple we describe general actions, events and states which are not
temporary or limited in time.
1. General facts: 2. Repeated events / Habitual behaviour
Ice melts at 0º I go south in the summer
I come from Spain We go to the cinema once a month

We often use frequency adverbs (always, usually, often, never...) or expressions of repeated time (on Tuesdays, in the summer,
once a year...) with this use of the present simple.
Exercises
1.1 Complete the sentences using the following verbs:
cause(s) connect(s) drink(s) live(s) open(s) speak(s) take(s)
1 Tanya.....speaks..... German very well.
2 I don't often............................................. coffee.
3 The swimming pool ............................................. at 7.30 every morning.
4 Bad driving.............................................many accidents.
5 My parents.............................................in a very small flat.
6 The Olympic Games .............................................place every four years.
7 The Panama Canal.............................................the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
1.2 Put the verb into the correct form.
1 Julie.....doesn’t drink …. .... (not / drink) tea very often.
2 What time ................ .......... (the banks / close) here?
3 I’ve got a computer, but I.................................................. (not / use) it much.
4 'Where ................ ................ (Martin / come) from?' 'He's Scottish.'
5 'What ................ .................. (you / do)?' “I’m an electrician.'
6 It ................ .......................... (take) me an hour to get to work. How long
................ ................................. (it / take) you?
7 Look at this sentence. What................................................ (this word / mean)?
8 David isn't very fit. He......................................................... (not / do) any sport.
1.3 Use the following verbs to complete the sentences. Sometimes you need the negative:
believe eat flow -go- -grow- make rise tell translate
1 The earth.....goes.....round the sun. 7 An interpreter.............................................from one
2 Rice.....doesn’t grow.....in Britain. language into another.
3 The sun...................................in the east. 8 Liars are people who....................................
4 Bees .......................................honey. the truth.
5 Vegetarians............................meat. 9 The River Amazon......................................................
6 An atheist......................... .....in God. into the Atlantic Ocean.
1.4 You ask Liz questions about herself and her family. Write the questions.
1 You know that Liz plays tennis. You want to know how often. Ask her.
How often.....do you play tennis?
2 Perhaps Liz's sister plays tennis too. You want to know. Ask Liz.
..................................your sister ................ ............................ ?
3 You know that Liz reads a newspaper every day. You want to know which one. Ask her.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….?
4 You know that Liz's brother works. You want to know what he does. Ask Liz.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….?
5 You know that Liz goes to the cinema a lot. You want to know how often. Ask her.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….?
6 You don't know where Liz's grandparents live. You want to know. Ask Liz.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….?
1.5 Complete using the following: I recommend / I promise / I insist / I suggest / I apologise
1 It's a nice day. ... we go out for a walk-
2 .... I won't tell anybody what you said.
3 (in a restaurant) ... You must let me pay for the meal.
4 ... for what I did. It won't happen again.
5 The new restaurant in Hill Street is very good..... it.
PRESENT CONTINUOUS (to be + ing form)

1. Form: We form the present continuous with a present form of to be and an –ing verb form.

Subject am/ is/ are -ing form Questions: A S ING

People are beginning to have fun am/ is/ are Subject -ing form
He is talking to his sister Are people beginning to have fun?
Is he leaving?
Qu A S ING
Why Are people beginning to have fun?
Negative: When Are they leaving?
Subject am/ is/ are not/ n’t -ing form
People are not beginning to have fun
She isn’t leaving

1.1. Spelling of –ing forms:

We usually just add –ing to the infinitive: go going, open opening

o NO final E  infinitives ending in a combination of vowel + consonant + e:

live  liv0ing ; improve  improv0ing

o 1-syllable verbs ending in a single vowel + single consonant combination DOUBLE the consonant:
pat  patting; , stop  stopping

o multi-syllable infinitives DOUBLE the consonant

When the final syllable is stressed and ends in a single vowel + single consonant combination:
Begin  beginning , Refer  referring

Or when the final syllable ends in a single vowel +l

Travel: travelling

o We add K to infinitives ending in –ic:

panic  panicking

2. We generally use the present continuous to refer to

 something temporary which has begun and has not finished,

Shhh! She’s sleeping!

 something which is completable and is in the process of being completed.

I’m getting up early this week

 We also use the present continuous when we talk about changes happening around now, especially with these verbs:

get change become increase rise fall grow improve begin start

Is your English getting better?

Prices are increasing very fast
At first I didn’t like my job, but I’m beginning to enjoy it now.

 Present continuous + always/ all the time/ continually/ constantly/ forever

We can use the present continuous + always / all the time... to stress the repetitiveness of an action and sometimes to express
our irritation with this:
They’re forever asking me to visit them! / He’s always picking his nose!
PRESENT CONTINUOUS (to be + ing form)

1.1 Complete the sentences with the following verbs in the correct form;
get happen look lose make start stay try -work
1 'You ‘re...working....hard today.' 'Yes, I have a lot to do.'
2 I ................ for Christine. Do you know where she is?
3 It ................ dark. Shall I turn on the light?
4 They don't have anywhere to live at the moment. They .........................................with friends until they find somewhere.
5 Things are not so good at work. The company ................ money.
6 Have you got an umbrella? It ................ to rain.
7 You ................ a lot of noise. Can you be quieter? I ................ to concentrate.
8 Why are all these people here? What ................ ?

1.2 Put the verb into the correct form. Sometimes you need the negative (I'm not etc.),
1 Please don't make so much noise. I’m trying ... (try) to work.
2 Let's go out now. It................... (rain) any more.
3 You can turn off the radio. I ................ (listen) to it.
4 Kate phoned me last night. She's on holiday in France. She ................ (have) a great time and doesn't want to come back.
5 I want to lose weight, so this week I ................ (eat) lunch.
6 Andrew has just started evening classes. He ................ (learn) German.
7 Paul and Sally have had an argument. They..................................... (speak) to each other.
8 I ................ (get) tired. I need a rest.
9 Tim ................ (work) this week. He's on holiday.

1.3 Complete the conversations,

1 A: I saw Brian a few days ago. - B: Oh, did you? ……………………………………. these days? (what / he / do)
A: He's at university. - B: .................................. ? (what / he / study)
A: Psychology. - B: .................................. it? (he / enjoy)
A: Yes, he says it's a very good course.
2 A: Hi, Liz. How ................ ..................in your new job? (you / get on)
B: Not bad. It wasn't so good at first, but ................ .................. better now. ……………………………………. (things / get)
A: What about Jonathan? Is he OK?
b: Yes, but ................ ..................his work at the moment, (he / not / enjoy). He's been in the same job for a long time
and ................ ..................to get bored with it. (he / begin)
1.4 Complete the sentences using the following verbs:
begin change get -increase- rise
1 The population of the world ......................very fast.
2 The world ................ . Things never stay the same.
3 The situation is already bad and it ................ worse.
4 The cost of living ................ . Every year things are more expensive.
5 The weather ................ to improve. The rain has stopped, and the wind isn't as strong.

3.1 Are the underlined verbs right or wrong? Correct them where necessary.
1 Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius. OK
2 The water boils. Can you turn it off? is boiling
3 Look! That man tries to open the door of your car.
4 Can you hear those people? What do they talk about?
5 The moon goes round the earth in about 27 days.
6 I must go now. It gets late.
7 I usually go to work by car.
8 'Hurry up! It's time to leave.' 'OK, I come.'
9 I hear you've got a new job. How do you get on?
10 Paul is never late. He’s always getting to work on time.
11 They don't get on well. They’re always arguing
PRESENT CONTINUOUS (to be + ing form)

3. 2 Put the verb into the correct form, present continuous or present simple,
1 Let's go out. It isn’t raining.. (not / rain) now.
2 Julia is very good at languages. She ........... (speak) four languages very well.
3 Hurry up! Everybody ................ (wait) for you.
4 ' ................ . (you / listen) to the radio?' 'No, you can turn it off.'
5 ' ................ .. (you / listen) to the radio every day?' 'No, just occasionally.'
6 The River Nile ................ (flow) into the Mediterranean.
7 The river ................ flow) very fast today - much faster than usual.
8 We usually ................ (grow) vegetables in our garden, but this year we ................ (not / grow) any.
9 A: How's your English?
B: Not bad. I think it ................ (improve) slowly.
10 Rachel is in London at the moment. She ................ (stay) at the Park Hotel. She always ................ (stay) there when she's in
London.
11 Can we stop walking soon? I ................ (start) to feel tired.
12 A: Can you drive?
B: I ................ (learn). My father ................ (teach) me.
13 Normally I ................ (finish) work at five, but this week I ................ (work) until six to earn a little more money.
14 My parents ................ (live) in Manchester. They were born there and have never
lived anywhere else. Where ................ (your parents / live)?
15 Sonia ................ (look) for a place to live. She ................ (stay) with
her sister until she finds somewhere.
16 A: What ................ (your brother / do)?
B: He's an architect, but he ................ (not / work) at the moment.
17 (at a party) I usually ................ (enjoy) parties, but I ................ (not / enjoy) this one very much.

3.3 Finish B's sentences, Use always + -ing for repetition/ irritation
1 a I've lost my pen again. - b Not again! You’re always losing your pen
2 a The car has broken down again. - b That car is useless. It .....................................
3 a Look! You've made the same mistake again. b - Oh no, not again! I .....................................
4 a Oh, I've forgotten my glasses again. b - Typical! .....................................